Reasons
by SheDevil2050
Summary: Reasons for: Katara's Nastiness, Zuko being a 'Gentleman', Sokka being broke, Aang being in the dark, and Why to not ever bet against Toph. ZUTARA! All the way.


Hey everyone! How is it going? So I have already watched episode 13 for the fire season and loved it. :P But this story has no spoilers, I promise. It was a good episode though. Alright so here is a oneshot I thought up, Enjoy. :P

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Zuko jumped up in the air turning then landing in a crouch position on the ground. Fire flew from his limbs with every movement with precise timing. He jumped yet again, this time to do a kick flip, sending flames toward the sky. This was his practice. Aang had gone of with Toph to earthbend, and Sokka was gathering wood. Katara was supposed to be setting up for dinner, on the other side of the camp. Zuko knew all this, which is why he choose to practice now; to prefect his moves before he taught them to Aang, when no one was watching or judging him.

One thing he didn't notice was that he _was_ being watched. Katara, stirring the soup, as she had been doing for perhaps a little too long, was watching Zuko in awe. Every move he made was pinpoint perfect. He made no mistakes. He was so focused. Katara's mouth was open only the slightest bit and she continued to watch him.

She suddenly caught herself when she realized that she was no longer watching Zuko's firebending, but his bare chest. She mentally slapped her self. The words betrayal and hate flew back and forth in her head. The more she studied them, and the reasons for why they were there, they lower she sunk until she was back to were she was that morning; in a nasty, hateful, Zuko hating funk.

She scoffed loudly, loud enough for Zuko to lose his concentration and look over at her. She smirked and looked back down at the soup.

Zuko waited for something else then continued to practice until, of course, he heard Katara snicker. He looked back at her and caught her eye before she looked back at the soup. His shoulders sunk. "What?"

Katara looked up innocently and pointed to herself with confusion. She mouthed _Me? _When Zuko nodded she blew the horn for all aboard the Hate Zuko ship. "Those are the moves you are going to teach Aang?"

Zuko was a bit confused. He was sure she was going to say something rude, but when just a plain question came out of her he thought he might be in the safe zone. "Um… Yeah." When she only nodded, understanding he continued to practice, though his moves were not as good because his mind was on her.

She stood up and went to get a rag from Appa's saddle. When her back was to him, she cocked her head, her eyes on Zuko, then on the rag. "So were you planning on teaching him to fight the fire lord, or to serve tea to him?"

Zuko turned her way a bit disheartened, but he was not in the line of sight to see her smirk. _Great, _he thought.

"Do you think there is a problem with my sets?" Zuko asked, trying to keep his cool. He had had to deal with this for about to weeks now, and he was getting tired of it. Every one else had forgiven him for there mistakes, except her. What was he going to have to do to make the nastiness stop?

She turned around, placing her hands on her hips. "Oh, no." She said with sarcasm to the point were it was painfully obvious that she was just pushing his buttons. "There fine… for pompous traitor hailing from the enemy base, but not even close to being good enough for the Avatar."

Zuko had had enough. He snapped, walking toward her menacingly. "What is your problem? Everyone else has accepted me! Forgiven me for my mistakes! Treated me with kindness! But you! You're to busy holding on to the past that you can't even be a decent human being! Why?"

He was now right in front of her. She looked slightly afraid, but mostly angry. Her hands that had been on her hips moved. One went into a fist at her side. The other formed into a pointed finger, and was shoved into Zuko's face.

"You lied to me! You told me you had changed, and I believed you! That mistake almost cost Aang his life! I don't care that everybody else has forgiven you! It may be Sokka's job to protect the group from outside threats, but I am in charge of protecting us from the ones on the inside. That's why!" She stepped forward her face in his. She narrowed her eyes. When the day comes for us to risk our lives to fight the fire nation, I won't be fighting the fire lord, the benders, or the troops. I'll be fighting you, Zuko. I'll be keeping my friends safe from the blow they didn't see coming.

She took a step back, straightened her shoulders, and continued to prepare dinner.

Zuko was angry, sad, and confused at the same time. He understood her argument, it was a good one, and he couldn't blame her. But he felt was still in the dark about something. "I betrayed them." He muttered.

Katara turned around, a look of question on her face. Zuko stepped toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I betrayed _them_ too. I lied, I deceived, I hurt, I did no more to you then I did to them, and yet, you remain the most upset. They have all forgiven me, so why can't you when your pain is no worse then theirs?"

She slapped his hand away and turned around, so that he would not see her tears. Though she cried, her voice remained strong. "I told you about my mother and you… you lied about yours to relate to me, so that I would think you had a heart. And I… I trusted you."

Zuko frowned and took a step back.

Katara continued. "Remember when Azula was following us, and you showed up? It was like you were fighting with us, and if felt good. It felt like you had chosen your way." She sniffed. "When Iroh got struck by Azula, you fell to your knees and cried out because someone you loved was hurt. I offered to help for two reasons. One, you already know I can heal. I can't leave someone hurt, even if it's the enemy. I feel terrible knowing I could've done something. And two, you looked so hurt. I knew he was all you had. I didn't want to see you get anything more taken from you."

Zuko stared at her back, a little awestricken that anyone would want to help him, and of all people his enemy.

Katara kept going, crying less as she went. "After that, every time I saw you I would watch you intently, and try to see how you were doing. I found my self hoping you were happy. It's an odd feeling, hoping happiness upon your enemies. There was only one real reason for it; I was beginning to have feelings for you."

Zuko was a little unsettled. Ever since he met the group, he would try to only fight Katara's brother or the Avatar. He told him self that he was just being a gentlemen. But after the encounter at the North Pole when he was in the cave with a sleeping Aang after beating and leaving her unconscious and out in the cold, it took all he had not to think about her, and hope she was O.K. He almost went back, before the ice broke, and he found the cave. He finally began to realize the truth.

Katara wiped her tears away and turned toward Zuko. She took a step for ward. "In Ba Sing Se when you told be you had changed, I automatically believed you… because I wanted, so bad, for it to be true. It broke my heart when you joined your sister. I gave up hope."

Zuko's thoughts connected with the ones he had that day. They were only of two things:

_My rightful throne…_

_Katara…_

Katara embarrassedly looked down and tried to busy herself with anything she could find. Zuko took two steps forward, closing most of the distance between them. Katara looked up, then tried to look away quickly but Zuko caught her chin and lifted it ever so slightly, bringing her lips to his.

It was just then slightest little bit of affection, but it meant the world to Katara to know that he cared. Zuko pulled away and looked at Katara's face. Her eyes were still closed. Then stood there like that for minutes before Zuko said anything. "You can open your eyes you know."

Katara slightly shook her head. "But what if it's not real?"

Zuko's hands moved to both sides of Katara's head and held neck softly. He leaned in so close that Katara could feel his warm breath on her face. "_Katara…_" he whispered.

She opened her eyes and Zuko kissed her again. Again she didn't move, but unlike the last time, she knew this was real. When they pulled apart, she opened her eyes. Zuko drew his hands back and took a step toward where he had been practicing.

He looked back at Katara and frowned. "By the way, I wasn't lying… about my mother. It wasn't a lie."

Katara nodded and turned around, continuing to fix dinner. She listened as Zuko continued his practice. She knew each move he did, for she had watch them all before carefully and knew every step.

* * *

Toph and Aang were practicing hard. Aang was blind folded and was doing pretty well, though Toph doubted he would be able to see things with his feet from miles away for a while. Toph expertly dodged another bolder from Aang's direction, though for the past ten minutes she had not been paying any attention to him.

Toph had been keeping an eye on the camp site.

Toph watched as the two vibration spots she was watching got very close and touched at the top. Toph automatically jumped up and had a good victory yelp, which frightened Aang just a bit.

"Are you O.K." he asked, lifting the blind fold.

"Uh, yeah. Put your blind fold back on. I'll be right back." She turned to leave, the stopped. She desperately tried to think of some reason for her behavior. "Uh… This is a test! Try and track me as long as you can. I won't go far, but I'll attack when I get back. Alright?" She smiled. _I am a genius_,She thought as she mentally applauded herself.

"Um… O.K.? Aang said getting into a tracking position.

"Stay put, twinkle toes." She pointed at him, then took off on a rock slide.

Toph was only going for five minutes before she found Sokka, asleep on a pile of wood. She stood and waited (for about thirty seconds) not wanting to be rude, before she kicked the ground sending a screaming Sokka flying upward. He landed on his butt and then stood in a fighting position facing away from Toph.

She sighed. "Hey smart one, over here." Sokka whipped around and then lowered his Boomerang, when he realized it was Toph. He waited for her to say something and was about to ask her what she wanted when he noticed the look on her face.

"No." He said, and began rummaging through his pockets.

Toph smiled. "Don't bother you don't have any on you." She turned to leave, but glanced back. "I'll be expecting those leachy nuts by next Friday."

Sokka groaned.

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Did you like it. It took me about two hours. Sorry about any miss spellings, I am horrible at catching stuff like that. How you enjoyed it. Also, I just moved to Stamford, Connecticut about 5 days ago, actually, and I am very low on friends. (actually I have none) So if any readers go to Westhills high school, please email me. I haven't found any Avatar fans yet, and I am dying on the inside. :(

SheDevil


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